When will we get the second $2000 stimulus check?
On Monday night, the U.S. Congress passed a $900 billion economic relief package. Part of the relief package will see the second round of stimulus checks coming to U.S. citizens who request it. However, the timing of these checks could be delayed as the value of the stimulus checks is now facing criticism from President Donald Trump and other members of congress.
The proposed value for the checks is $600, but Trump is suggesting the value go up to $2,000 per person. Here’s more information on the stimulus check and how the challenge to its value could affect its timing.
Trump criticizes Congress
According to CBS News, Congress added “$600 per-person checks into the bill during last-minute negotiations, an amount that had been decried as too low by some lawmakers.” This value has been criticized for being too low by members of Congress such as Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of VT & Republican Senator Josh Hawley of MO. President Trump posted a video on Twitter, appearing to agree with critics.
In the video posted to Twitter on Tuesday, Trump criticized the value of the stimulus checks calling them “too low”. Trump also said in the video that not enough money is being given to small businesses, who have struggled financially during the pandemic.
“I am asking Congress to amend this bill and increase the ridiculously low $600 dollars to $2,000, or $4,000 for a couple,” President Trump said in the video.
The $600 is also only half of the amount of the first round of stimulus checks which was $1200. Critics said the aid would be helpful, but not enough to truly help those who suffered financially during the pandemic as the economy crashed and unemployment spiked.
How likely are $2,000 checks?
According to CBS News, Democrats are backing Trump’s proposal for $2,000 stimulus checks, however, it’s unclear if Republicans will get behind this idea as the increase from $600 to $2,000 would cost an “estimated $530 billion, or about $385 billion more than what Congress approved with the $600 checks.”
House Democrats said they plan to offer a bill for $2,000 stimulus checks this Thursday and will hope to pass the bill “via unanimous consent since no one will be on the floor to vote.” Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi voiced her support of $2,000 checks on Twitter, citing the video Trump’s video from Tuesday.
“Republicans repeatedly refused to say what amount the President wanted for direct checks,” Pelosi said in her Tuesday tweet. “At last, the President has agreed to $2,000 — Democrats are ready to bring this to the Floor this week by unanimous consent. Let’s do it!”
However, according to CBS News, wall street analysts say that they believe “it’s most likely that the current bill . . . will move forward”.
When will you get the checks?
The stimulus check direct payments were reportedly set for next week, however according to USA Today, any attempt from Trump to veto the bill could “delay Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin’s plans to send out the first wave of direct payments next week.”
If Trump vetoes the bill, Congress could override the veto with a two-thirds vote in both the House of Representative and Senate. However, if Congress did want to seek some provisions in the bill, Congress doesn’t begin a new session until Jan. 3, as Congress is currently in a scheduled recess.
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It isn’t fully clear when U.S. citizens can expect to receive a stimulus check, and while Trump’s proposal would increase the value people receive, it could delay when people get it. Many who are facing financial problems need the stimulus check as soon as possible.
